


Don’t Jump, I Promise It’ll Be Better

by ladeedadaday



Category: The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals - Team Starkid
Genre: (Hidgens), Abuse, Angst, Bi!Emma, Emma Is Bi, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay Character, Jane is no good, M/M, Pre-Canon, Self Harm, Starkid - Freeform, Suicidal Thoughts, TGWDLM, au apotheosis never happens, emmas parents suck, emma’s family is bad, father daughter relationship, hidgens being her dad, hidgens is gay, hidgens is good, paul and emma meet anyway, ted and henry meet who knows how, ted is pan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2020-07-10 18:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19910620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladeedadaday/pseuds/ladeedadaday
Summary: Hidgens saves Emma, she trusts him enough to go home with him. Her parents kicked her out and she has no where to go and no one to take care of her, so Hidgens decides that he’s going to be that person who takes care of her. After awhile, he wants to legally adopt her.Then he marries Ted. You’ll see why this is so hilarious and bad later.TW: Suicidal thoughts, probably self harm, verbal and physical abuse.





	1. Grab My Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Emma is 15. That’s important. I’ll update you with the age because it’ll change every once in a while.

Her parents kicked her out and disowned her. She was told to pack her bags and get out of the house, and was never to see any of them again.

When they found out that their daughter was bisexual, they had kicked her and shouted at her, absolutely destroying any strength and confidence that she may have had left. Mind you, Emma was only trying to say something to distract her parents, the vultures that they were, from blaming Jane for something they had done themselves. The words slipped from her mouth merely as a distraction, but as soon the words were said, Emma knew she was done for.

“I SWEAR TO GOD, EMMA PERKINS, PACK YOUR STUFF AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, NOW,” Her mother had yelled, picking up a spoon and throwing it, narrowly missing Emma’s chest. “YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY. I WILL NOT HAVE SOMETHING AS DISGUSTING AS YOU IN MY HOUSE.”

By this point, Emma had run to her room to start shoving everything she could into bags that she’d inevitably have to carry. Her mother and father stalked after her, throwing open the bedroom door while her father grabbed her and her mother started to repeatedly punch her.

At hearing Emma’s screams, Jane followed her parents into Emma’s room, trying not to be seen in fear that she’d receive the same treatment as her poor younger sister.

Emma was in bone breaking pain, and was sure her ears would fall off from all of the screaming, but she still wasn’t crying. This, sadly enough, was one of the easier things the she had been put through, especially in her teenage years. In her parents’ eyes, all teenagers were evil with the exception of Jane and her friends, therefore Emma was evil and she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone in her school unless absolutely necessary.

“YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BE ON THIS EARTH, YOU DISGUSTING, WORTHLESS, FREAKISH, WHORE!” They all stopped for a moment. Emma found it hard to speak. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and as soon as her father saw this, he jumped at the opportunity.

“LISTEN TO ME, CHILD. PERKINS’ DO NOT CRY. AND BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL ONLY BE A PERKINS UNTIL YOU’RE EIGHTEEN, BECAUSE THEN, WE WILL DISOWN YOU. NOW FINISH PACKING AND GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE, YOU PIECE OF FILTH.” With that, he threw her to the ground, and Jane bolted back to the kitchen to take her place at the table once again.

She brought everything she owned to the lake. Tears were falling freely now. Of course, she was still very worried about her parents coming to find her and hurt her, so she figured that she had to do something about it. “They can’t hurt me if I’m dead,” She said, to no one in particular. Emma managed to drag all of her old belongings to a bench, but they wouldn’t be of much use to her for longer.

Letting out one last exhale, she started to climb over the railing on the bridge and prepared to jump. She was about to fall when—

“Don’t jump!” She heard a man call. Soon she felt a hand grab her arm to which she tensed up. She turned to face him.

“Why shouldn’t I? I have nowhere to go now, and my parents would finally be proud of something that I did with my life,” She said, taking in this man’s features. He was tall, he had grey hair, and he looked absolutely exhausted and worried.

“Listen, I have been where you are and I know how badly it hurts. So please, don’t jump, take my hand, and let me help you.” She contemplated still jumping for a moment, but she took his hands and let him help pull her over. He let out a huge breath of relief that he had no idea he was holding.

“T-thank you... I don’t think I could’ve done it...” She whimpered. “Can I trust you?” She asked, with good reason, too. She’d never met someone who hadn’t tried to or actually hurt her. “Like, you’re not going to hurt me, right?”

“Oh, sweetie, why would I do that? You’ve been through too much today. Is it okay if I take you home?” She nodded, suddenly unable to speak. “Where’s your stuff?” She pointed to the bench. He picked up all of it and brought her to his car. “Dear, what’s your name?” She clumsily signed ‘Emma Perkins’ letter-by-letter. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Oh no, you’re a Perkins?!” She nodded again. “I’m going to bring you home, okay?” He put his hand on her shoulder, and from that moment, she knew that she would be safe.


	2. It’s Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma gets her first hug and also cries for the first time.
> 
> TW: Self harm, suicide attempt mentions, abuse.

“My name is Henry Hidgens, and you’re going to be alright.” He said, reassuringly, a glint of determination in his eye.

The car ride to his house was only fifteen minutes long, but to Emma, it felt like an eternity. Staring out the window, she hasn’t realized until now how toxic her parents truly were. They had thrown her out for something she couldn’t control, mercilessly beaten her, neglected her, threatened to disown her and… she couldn’t bear to think of anything more. She was not allowed to cry, she was not allowed to be happy, and was hardly allowed to talk so she had to resort to unhealthy measures. Sure, she’d take a walk, kick the wall, or write an angry letter and throw it out, but that wasn’t enough. Emma would cut herself or starve herself in anger and sadness. The hunger pains were so normal that she was no longer horribly bothered by them. The pains were just something that she was destined to live with. And the blood was another thing she’d have to deal with on her own. No one noticed anything. In school, she was known for being short and skinny, so the fact that her clothes were always baggy on her and she seemed to always be swimming in them was perfectly normal. The abundance of bracelets she wore on her wrists covered up the cuts, but she was normally wearing a big hoodie to cover the bruises, cuts, and scars her parents had given her, so the bracelets went unnoticed just as she had.

Hidgens signed, ‘We’re home,’ on her hand and she snapped back into reality. Before she got out of the car, she signed to him, ‘Why do you know how to sign?’

He signed back, ‘Had a few students who were deaf. You?’

‘My parents don’t like to let me speak, so I sign to my sister under the table. I’m only allowed to talk in school, so I’m not that good at speaking. I tried once in my room, and I got beaten for it.’ She signed, once she finished, she bit her nails.

“Well, hopefully, we could change that. I’d be glad to help you.” He grabbed her hand, waiting for her to pull back, which she didn’t. He pushed open the door, stepped to the other side, and opened the passenger door for her. “Wait there for a second,” He said.

With a click of his keys, he opened the trunk and got out her bags. When he walked to the gate and punched in the code, to which the gates swung open, she followed him to the front door.

The front door had a lot of complicated locks on it, so Emma wait for a little while before actually stepping inside the house. It smelled almost like a doctors’ office, a smell she loved, but a place that stressed her out. She couldn’t help but notice how elegant everything in the house was. The stairs were covered by a dark red carpet, and the floors were a dark brown, wooden floor. She could tell by looking at the house that it was quite old.

“You can go into the kitchen, I’ll bring your stuff up to your room, and then I want to talk to you.” He smiled at her and she nodded, smiling back.

She felt around in her pocket and her face immediately fell into a panicked expression. _No, no, no, no, no! Where is it?_ She felt around even more frantically, sighing in relief when her fingers ran over the pen and paper that was now in her hand.

Taking a seat at the table, Emma pulled the pen and paper from her pocket. She wrote about how she was feeling for the next ten minutes while Hidgens prepared her room for her.

Once he was done, he slowly moved down the stairs and into the kitchen, being met with the note she had been writing. “Can I read this?” He asked. She appreciated that he respected her privacy. As she nodded, he picked the letter up. It read:

 _It hurts. Knowing that I got kicked out for something that I couldn’t change or choose. Knowing that no matter what I did, my parents would always hate me. Hearing the things they said about me and yelled in my face. Not being allowed to talk, not being allowed to cry. Not being allowed to feel. I wasn’t allowed to be me. I had to let it all happen and I hated it. I couldn’t be more thankful to be out of there. I’m so much more happy but I’m scared. I’m scared of my parents and I’m scared of myself and what I’ve done to myself. I almost_ **died** _. I never thought it would get that bad… I hoped it would never get that bad._

“Emma…” He whispered. “Good Gods, I had no idea it was that bad. You go sit on the couch, I’ll make some tea, and then we can talk— or sign, if that’s more comfortable for you— about this and what we’re going to do.” Immediately after he had finished, she obeyed his order, still in fear that he’d hurt her otherwise. She could feel tears pricking her eyes. ‘ _Not now… not in front of him… Emma, it’s been fifteen years, you can hold it in a little longer,’_ The annoying, scratchy voice in her head told her.

He set down two cups of tea on the coffee table set in front of the couch. She moved a little closer to him and he responded by squeezing her hand and rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. “First of all, do you want to talk or sign?”

The small girl cleared her throat. “I’ll talk… but it’s been a while, so don’t blame me if I m-mess up.” He nodded understandingly. “We-well, I guess it’s bec-because they told me women should-shouldn’t talk. So they— my dad— would burn me every time I tried to say-ay something t-to him. My mom would slug me whenever I did anything, and it just hurt s-so badly! I r-remember my parents once told me that my mom started t-to date my dad because he said that women should exist only as wives, maids and slaves. I— hold on…” She started sniffling, and soon enough, tears spilled out of her eyes for the first time in her entire life. Once they started, they would not stop.

She looked up at him to see his arms open and and empathetic smile on his face. “Wh-what?” His face dropped into a sad expression.

“Have you… never had a hug before?” He asked, sadly. She slowly shook her head. “No… I can’t even imagine. You c’mere and hug me.” He wrapped his arms around her tiny and certainly thin waist, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and crying into his chest.

 _This is really nice. I like hugs,_ She decided. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write this chapter four times and it got deleted every time I tried to write it. If you have any requests, let me know, and I hope you enjoyed!


	3. You’ll Be Safe

“Shh, it’s alright, Emma. You’re safe now. I promise nothing will hurt you here.” He rubbed her back with one arm, holding her with the other. She was still crying and that was okay. She hadn’t cried in the entirety of her life, so tears came rushing down her face like a waterfall. His black turtleneck was soaked with her spilled tears, but he didn’t mind. The professor was just so happy to finally have someone to care for. “I’ve got some tissues, do you want to go upstairs?” She brought her head away from his chest and signed ‘yes.’ She stood up first and the professor held her hand to pull himself up.

He brought her up the stairs slowly. “So, um, these stairs are a bit old and I need to get them fixed, but I’m old and I can’t do it myself.” 

“Um... if you want, I could do it for you?” There was fear in her eyes, but she seemed sure in her offer anyway. “It’s the least I can do.” They kept up their slow travel until they reached the hallway.

“If you’re sure, but I won’t make you do anything.” At this, they were arrived at a door down the hallway. “This’ll be your room. I don’t have much for you now, I wasn’t expecting anyone, but we can go out and fix that tomorrow.” 

“It’s absolutely perfect, thank you so much!” She said, squeezing his hand with a huge grin on her face. He matched her grin with one of his own and squeezed her hand back. With his other hand, he opened her bedroom door. _This is weird. I’ve never been in a two-story house before._

Her jaw dropped to the floor. The carpet was the same as the one on the stairs, the door was white with a golden doorknob, and the bed was an actual bed, not the mattress on the floor she was used to. Next to the bed, there was a nightstand with a lamp on it. Across from the bed, there was a bureau. The red drapes covered the window adding color to the dull light beige of the walls. She looked back at him, he nodded and then dropped her hand. She cautiously stepped forward and her eyes darted around the room. Hidgens leaned against the doorframe and watched over her like a proud father watched his child. 

“I think you’re going to like it here,” As he said this, there was a proud look on his face. Hidgens walked in and sat down on the bed. He patted a spot next to him and she sat there. “I just want to talk to you about what’s going to happen. I want you to stay here because I believe it’s the best place for you to be, but if you think there’s somewhere better for you then I won’t hesitate to bring you there. You can also stay here for as long as you need. I’ve been where you are now and... and I want to help you get through it, if you’ll let me. 

“I will,” She said, rolling up her sleeves. “Oh, oh no.” Her arms were completely battered. There were large amounts of circle scars up and down her arms, she had ugly bruises in varying colors, and on her arm was one particularly nasty gash. One thing the professor noticed, but refused to mention, were cuts around her wrists. All of these marks were recent. 

“You poor thing...” He got up and opened a drawer. In it was a first aid kit. He pulled a bandage from it and wrapped it around her arm. Next, he pulled out a cream that he rubbed over her burn marks. Then he pulled back down her sleeves. “It’s all going to be okay soon. I promise. For now, I want you to get some sleep.” 

She pulled down the covers and got under. Hidgens pulled the chain on the lamp and they were both in darkness. “Goodnight, and thank you again.”

“Goodnight, Emma.”


	4. I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hidgens makes a lot of promises.

Hidgens lightly knocked on the door in the morning. “Emma?” She grumbled in response. There was a ray of light shining through the window and Emma couldn’t keep her eyes shut any longer. Emma pulled the covers over her head to block the sunlight. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah...” She pulled the covers over her head. He slowly opened the door and immediately thought she wasn’t in the room but soon realized she was just hiding under the covers. Emma could feel him sitting down on the foot of the bed. Next, she could feel him leaning over the bed and the next thing she knew, the covers were being pulled off of her and the light was absolutely blinding. 

“Good morning, Emma.” The professor grinned at her and she smiled back. “I’ll go make breakfast while you get ready, and we have a list of things to do for today. By the way, do you go to Hatchetfield High or Sycamore?” 

“Hatchetfield High.” She answered, yawning. He gave her a thumbs up and exited. Groaning and still half asleep, she pulled the covers off of her and stepped out of the bed. Her bags were on the side of the dresser, but they were empty.  _ He didn’t!  _

In her confusion, she opened the bureau and all of her clothes were in it and folded. She almost broke down right there.  _ No one has ever been this nice to me before. Why’s he being so nice? Am I going to get in trouble later? Is he going to get worse? _

During the questions, she had been pulling out clothes which ended up an outfit. Emma didn’t bother to look for the bathroom, but she’d have to do so later. Everything seemed better. Her white socks felt fluffier. Her black leggings felt less baggy than usual. The one shirt she had that actually fit her was the one she chose to wear. The school gave the clubs shirts with the school logo. She belonged to the drama club, so that’s the shirt she had. 

It felt good to be away from her parents for once. It felt good to be somewhere safe, yet she still didn’t know if she could trust this man. He was an old looking man, he didn’t seem to be creepy or anything… but maybe that was just an act. 

“Emma!” Yelling back would be of no use, so she ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Upon her arrival, she was greeted by the smell of eggs and bacon. “You’re not allergic to eggs or bacon, are you? Sorry, I should’ve asked first.” Emma shook her head. 

He pushed over a list for her to read, presumably the things that they were supposed to get done. She read:

  1. Hardware store for stairs.
  2. Aux cord for keyboard. 
  3. Groceries.
  4. New bedding for guest room. 
  5. LED light bulbs for lab. 
  6. Tissues, (Henry, you’ve got to get your emotions under control for once.)



“You have a lab?” Emma asked, in awe. He nodded. “What type?”

“Well, I’m a biology professor at the community college and I used to study infectious diseases.” Emma’s face lit up. 

“That’s so cool!” They both smiled in content silence.

“You do drama?” He asked, perking up at the sight of her shirt.

“Yes! It’s a lot of fun! This year we’re doing Brigadoon.”

“You’re going to want to continue attending Hatchetfield High, correct?” She nodded. “Good. Let’s see, do you have your book bag?”

Emma thought for a minute. “Yes, I’m pretty sure I brought it.” 

“Do you have a toothbrush, hairbrush, or deodorant?” He asked. 

“No, I didn’t have time to grab them...” She said, revealing more information then she would’ve liked to. He just nodded and moved on, sparing her the embarrassment of the current situation. 

“That’s okay, I’ll get them while I’m out.” Taking a pen out of his pocket, he wrote something down on the list with his tongue in between his lips. 

“Wait. You’re not making me come with you? Don’t you need me to carry something?” With a shocked and confused look on her face, she stared at him as he gaped at her, upset and angry. 

“Emma Perkins, I’d like you to come with me, but not to help me carry anything. I would like you to tell me  _ exactly  _ what they did to you.” She whimpered. He recognized the look of fear on her face and quickly tried to relieve it. “Oh, sweetie, no. I’m not angry at you. I’m upset with your parents.” Something, he didn’t know what, but something about this young woman triggered a somewhat primal parental instinct in him. Although he had never had children of his own, as he had always wanted, he felt the need to take care of her and help her, and no matter what he was going to do it. 

“You scared me,” She plainly stated. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that and I promise I won’t.” He walked around the island on the kitchen to wrap his arm around her shoulder and whispered, “I promise that they’ll never hurt you again, Do you trust me? ”

“I think. I’ve never trusted anyone before.” Now he broke down.  _ Jeez, Henry. Get it together already.  _


	5. It’s Not That Bad

Emma was much happier than she’d ever been since Hidgens began taking care of her. Finding her brightest outfit to fit she bright mood she was in, she grabbed and a yellow t-shirt and a bright blue pair of jeans. 

Her teachers and classmates noticed the change. They were all very much accustomed to the silent, sweatshirt wearing, nervous Emma. She participated in class and got every answer right. The school’s drama teacher even approached her and suggested that she audition for the school musical instead of just working backstage. 

Emma was spoken to by her classmates, and she was actually having a great time until the schools biggest bullies approached her. 

“We all liked you better when we could easily pretend that you didn’t exist.” He told Emma. The other one didn’t need to say anything but shot her a snarky look. “Oh, not going to say anything? You’ve learned. Good girl.” He grabbed her collar and laughed before shoving her into the lockers and strutting away. A few students looked to her with concern but she waved them away, assuring anyone who asked that she was okay. 

In reality, she was far from okay but was also determined to not let the bullies ruin her perfect day. The bruises on her body were stinging and one of her cuts has reopened. Emma attempted to work up the courage to ask a passing teacher for a bandage to cover her cut but she would have to get Hidgens to properly do it for her later. 

“Excuse me?” The teacher looked over to her with a questioning look on his face. “Could I have a bandage?” Mr. Jespersen looked at her wound. 

“I think you might need to go to the nurse for that.” 

“It’s okay, my dad— uh, guardian, is a biology professor and he’s great with first aid. I have one more period, I’ll be fine after that,” She tried her hardest to convince him, but wasn’t sure if she had or not until he gave verbal confirmation. 

“If you’re sure.” He trailed off, looking for the first aid kit that was left in the hall in case of an emergency. 

“Thank you, sir,” She said once he handed the bandage to her. “I’ve gotta get going, but I really can’t thank you enough.” 

She hurried to her next class, messily applying a bandage on her way. Of course her next class had to be P.E. Ms. O’Connor announced that the students would be playing dodgeball. 

Surprisingly, to everyone and herself, Emma was amazing at dodgeball. She assumed it was because she was used to dodging punches and objects. The last one standing at the end of the game was Emma. 

“Fantastic job everyone, especially you, Ms. Perkins!” Ms. O’Connor exclaimed, clapping her hands together. 

On her way out, Emma was gestured to by the gym teacher to come talk with her. 

“Is there something new in your life? You seem much happier.” The teacher queried. Emma nodded eagerly. “Care to explain?” 

“Well, I have a new guardian and he’s so much better than who I had before.” She smiled at the thought alone. 

“Good for you! I’m very glad that you’re so happy.” Emma waved and skipped to her locker. 

“I can’t wait to tell him about today!”


	6. I Need To Tell You Something

“Emma? Is that you?” Hidgens called once he heard the door opening and promptly closing. 

“It is!” She yelled back, looking through the window in the mud room. Emma was incredibly tense despite the fact that she knew she’d be safe. When he appeared behind her, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. 

“Emma, dear, what are you doing?” He said with a suspicious tone in his voice. She sighed and uncrossed her bare arms. 

The small girl in question grabbed the professors hand and led him to the kitchen table, taking a seat close to him. She let her head rest on her chin and attempted to smile at him. He smiled back, though it was a much wider and brighter smile than Emma’s weak one. 

“Sweetie, you need to talk about something with me, don’t you?” She could feel tears pricking at her eyes. Emma took a shaky breath and nodded. “That’s okay. Emma, I’m going to listen and I won’t interrupt until you’re done.” 

Hidgens tugged her shirt a tad but that was not all she felt. She felt as if she were being tugged backwards into a memory. 

_“YOU REALLY MESSED IT UP THIS TIME, EMMA,” Jane screeched._

_“Jane, please, I’m sorry! Just tell me what I did wrong!” Emma choked caused by her sisters grip around her neck. The girls could hear footsteps. For Emma, this meant she shook even more. For Jane, this was a wonderful opportunity._

_The thunderous roar of laughter and unbearable amounts of pain were the last things from that night she remembered before she blacked out. When she woke up, she was drenched in a pool of her own blood and tears. She was dizzy and could practically see the cartoon birds flying around her head._

“Emma? Listen! Please breathe! Emma, please breathe. You’re all I have, Emma! Please, you can’t leave me too.” He was nearing a panic attack himself, and was already sobbing. “Okay, okay, I can help,” He said, taking her hand and placing it on his chest. “I want you to follow my breathing, alright? That’s right. In and out. Good. In and out. Very good. Now keep going.” 

He let out a huge breath once her breathing was back to normal. She leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arm around her side. 

“Thank you. You’re a good dad,” She whispered. “Not that I have much to compare you to… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make this so—?” 

“Melancholy? Sad? Depressing?” He interrupted. “Um, are you still up for telling me whatever it was that you were going to?” 

“Yes. I really need to get this off my chest. I haven’t told you nearly all of the things my parents and sister did to me. And, yes, I understand that I made some horrible decisions but you have to realize that I had no one. Once, my parents knocked me out with a pill and when I woke up drenched in blood and sweat. There are still pictures on my phone from everything that they’re proud of doing to me.” She paused and nodded at his sad and worried expression. “It’s horrible, I know. Do you want to see any of them?” 

He was holding her tighter and tighter with every horrible statement that came out of her mouth. “Emma, I’m scared to look but I feel compelled to.” 

In a lot of the pictures, she was unconscious, but the others she was fully awake but never looking at the camera. In her personal least favorite, she was being pushed against the wall by her mother while her father wielded a hammer along with other pointy objects and taking turns hitting her with each one. 

The saddest thing was that she could point out a scar on her body from every picture and was tempted to do so. 

When they reached the end of her camera roll, each person was in tears and hugging the other very tightly. 

While the hug didn’t solve all of their problems, it certainly made both parties feel better that they were no longer alone. 

“E-Emma? Do you want-t to watch a m-movie?” The small girl nodded and the professor grabbed her hand, leading her to the couch. Before he sat down, he pulled out a blanket and threw it down over both of them. “It’s all going to get better, I swear.” 


	7. Protection

The doorbell rang. When Hidgens got to the door, all that was left was a letter on the doorstep. 

He returned to the couch go read the letter to Emma. 

“ _ We know you have it. We know that you have our old child. We just hope that you’re beating it just as often as you can. It’s putting on an act for you, in reality, it’s a demon. If you aren’t beating it the proper amount, we will come and do it for you. Kill it if you need to, it’s not worth living. If you’d like some ideas for punishments, here’s are some of our favorites:  _

  * __No food or water until it’s about to die of thirst.__


  * _Lock it in it’s room at any second while ‘s not at school._


  * _Throw bricks at it._


  * _Cut words in it’s skin._


  * _Use “The Belt” on it._


  * _Chains in any form. (Hitting, restraining, etc.)_


  * _Collar attached to something that keeps moving so it has to keep moving, too._



_ DO NOT LET IT FOOL YOU. IT IS LYING WHEN IT BEHAVES. WE WILL BE AT YOUR HOUSE THIS THURSDAY TO INSPECT IF YOU’VE BEEN BEATING IT ENOUGH. IF NOT, WE WILL TEACH YOU EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT.”  _

“They’re gonna do it. They’re gonna be here and they’re gonna hurt me. And they’re gonna make you do it, too. And then you’re gonna like it and you’ll keep doing it and it’s going to happen all over again!” 

“Emma, dear, I promised that you’re never going to be hurt by anyone ever again. I’m going to keep that promise.” He brought her closer to him and hugged her. “Why do they call you, ‘it?’ You have a name.”

He released her from the hug and stared at her with a worried look. “I don’t know. To hurt me, maybe? To make me feel like I’m not a person? And they certainly succeeded if that was their goal.” 

“Emma, they’re not going to hurt you and I'm not going to hurt you either. Not even respecting your proper pronouns and name? It’s absolutely insane. You lived with that for fifteen years. I can’t even imagine.” 

“Hey, uh, what are we going to do about them?” She timidly asked. She was already turning a pale white and was shaking down to her bones. 

“Let them come. I have a lot of security and they won’t be able to get in.” 

“I’m terrified.” She wrapped her arms around him buried her face in his chest. He softly kissed the top of her head. 

“Don’t be. You’re smart and wonderful, alright? I’m going to protect you. Well, I will if my security doesn’t.”


	8. They’re Here

Thursday came. As soon as Emma got home from school, Hidgens asked her to hide in the bathroom. 

“I’m scared,” Was all she could repeat. 

“Emma, I promise everything is going to be fine. They’re not going to hurt you, I promise. I want you to lock the door from the inside, alright?” He instructed. At her nod, he took his place in his lab, watching the security cameras. 

They tossed a box over the gates, and scaled the fence to get themselves over. The two parents knocked at the door several times before Hidgens answered.

“Where is it?” The mother demanded to know, shoving past the grey haired man. 

“What? Oh you mean… Emma?” The mother nodded. “She— it’s still locked in it’s room.” 

The mother smiled and nodded. “Good. Well, let’s move on. We brought some things for you to use on it.” It turned out that in the box, Emma’s mother and father had brought several knives, belts, and ropes. The professor was very shocked but he had to pretend to be interested for Emma’s safety. 

“How’s it behaving? In our house it was demonic. It had  _ the nerve _ to deny that it did the things that it did.”

“Absolutely horrendous. It’s refusing to help at all,” He was an actor once, but found it difficult to say things about her that he didn’t at all agree with.

Meanwhile, Emma was getting more and more anxious. All she could do was bite her nails and curl up on the bathroom mat. 

“Now, can we see it?” The father asked, cracking his knuckles.

“Um...of course, it’s supposed to be let out in two hours, so if you can wait until then, I don’t suppose it should be let out early.” He winced at calling her ‘it,’ but knew he had to do it if he wanted Emma to be safe. “Mr and Mrs. Perkins, what would you like to do once you see it?”

“Well, we’re going to check if you’ve been beating it enough. Then, we’re going to teach you some of our favorite tactics.” Emma’s mother explained.

“Elenora, dear, I’m not quite sure we have the time to wait two hours. We should already get going.” He checked his watch.

She checked her watch as well. “Oh, I suppose. We’ll leave the box here for you, hopefully you’ll get use out of it.” 

“Thank you so much, I’ll surely get some fun out of this,” He said, examining the things in the box. Her parents left swiftly and he immediately ran upstairs to check on Emma. He knocked and she whimpered. “Sweetie, it’s me,” 

She unlocked the door. When she finished, she smiled and hugged him tightly. “What’d they say?”

“They told me that you were demonic in their house and had, ‘the nerve’ to deny that you did something,” He explained. “Were you really like that?”

“I don’t think so. They beat me for a lot of the stuff they did. And anything I did was earn an A minus or something.” 

He picked her up and carried her to her room. “I don’t like those people. They act nice, but I can’t get over what they’ve done to you.” He hugged her once more. “I expect you’ve got homework to finish. I’m going to start making dinner.”

“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” He just looked at her with a sad look and left.


	9. Happy Sad

“Can I help you with something? I’m bored, and I did all my homework,” Emma asked, swinging her legs under the table. Hidgens looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face, attempting to remember what it was that he was supposed to get done. 

“Hmm, I suppose I could use some help, but dear, don’t forget about rehearsal at three today.” Grinning at Emma, he sat down next to her at the table and pulled a group of papers from the drawer. “You could help me write my musical, if you’d like.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re writing a musical?” Next it came out as an excited statement. “You’re writing a musical!” He only nodded.

“Yes, it’s about my old college friends. My friends were on the football team at the college where I teach now. They passed a few years ago.” He seemed to look back on the memory fondly, but something told Emma that he wasn’t too happy with their passings. 

She tried her hardest not to be insensitive, she could tell the professor was hurting. “Oh. Well, I’m really sorry about your friends. Do you want to talk about it?” 

He sighed and said, “It’s probably best. Did I ever tell you a I was a cheerleader in college?” Emma giggled and shook her head. “It was actually pretty common for boys to participate. Anyway, that’s how I met my friends. They made up about half of the football team. I was a nerd back then. I still am, but they kinda kept me safe, if that makes any sense.”

“Like you do for me?” At this comment, Hidgens felt his heart soaring for the first time in years. He gently squeezed her shoulder.

“Yes, like I do for you. They loved me, I loved them, just like I love you.” The pair smiled. 

“I love you, too.” They sat in silence for a minute. “So what happened to them?” 

“Well, I told you about my old job, right? I was an infectious disease researcher. They came to visit me during my shift, they got infected with something I had been studying, and they... tore each other apart and I had to watch them die.” He finished on a more solemn note. Emma wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but this time he was too sad to hug her back. 

“It’s going to be alright. Just remember the good in them, okay? Everything has a good side, the cloud of sadness is just blocking it right now.” She let go of him and rested her head on her palm.

“Where did you learn to be so optimistic about everything?” Emma didn’t respond, for they both knew she had learned it from him. 

But Emma was right. The cloud of sadness would go away eventually. Together, they’d be happy sad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m aware of the typo but I for whatever reason couldn’t edit it.


	10. Chapter 10

“Hey, Emma?” He caught her eye. “I love you.” 


	11. Birthday

“Happy birthday, Emma!” The professor said, bustling around the kitchen.

She yawned and sat down at the table to watch him. “Morning, Hidgens.” 

“So... It’s your big one six, what do you want to do today?” She sighed, resting her forehead on the cold marble table, relishing in the comforting cool.

”I have school.” 

“I called you in, you’re not going today.” Before she could interrupt him and whine, the professor added, “I can’t imagine your last birthdays have been very exciting.”

Emma tried to smile, it just never formed in her face. “Hidgens... I hate my birthday. Can’t we just... I don’t know, ignore it?” He sighed.

”I knew you’d say that. And no, we’re not ignoring it. Eggs?” She nodded, and he shoveled some onto a plate. “Is this about your parents?” 

She nodded. “What if they try to take me away from you?”

”Actually, I have some papers, and if we prove what your parents did, you can actually stay with me.” She gaped at his every word. 

“Really? That’s... amazing!” He was happy to see her smiling again. 

“I’ve been waiting to tell you for months.” He grinned just as wide as Emma was. 

“Thank you!” She then thought a bit more, and realized a sad truth. “Does that mean you’re going to court against my parents?”

“It does. Why?” She twirled her hair around her index finger. 

“Are you going to have to show the videos and pictures?” 

He nodded. “I think I’ll only have to show it to the lawyer and jury and judge. I’m not too well-versed in law.” 

“I guess that’s okay.” He finished brewing his tea, and sat across from her. 

“Sweetie, are you worried that I’ll lose?” Emma nodded. “Oh, dear, don’t worry yourself, okay? We have evidence, and eventually, I think it really comes down to you.”

She smiled. “Okay, I can’t believe this could actually happen!” Hidgens places his free hand over hers and they smiled in the comforting silence. “I love you so much, y’know.”

“I love you, too.” Emma smiled, at Hidgens, “So, I’ve been waiting to tell you, I met someone.”

”Ooh, who is he?” 

“Not important. Why don’t we watch a movie?” He answered, quickly. 

“Okay, what’s the one you were in?”

”Oh, that one was a musical that the company filmed. Did you want to watch that?” He said as he got up to search for the DVD. 

“Sure!” And so they did.

Emma was in awe as she watched the man onstage, singing and dancing, and happy. 

The end of the show came, and she cried when his character died. 

“This is my favorite birthday ever.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him in a tight hug. 


End file.
